Tony's story
Tony has spent 40 years living in temporary accommodation and constantly moving. Undiagnosed health problems and a lack of support have made finding a permanent home impossible.
“I worked with the Salvos picking and delivering to their shops. My Mum worked at Royal Doulton so I knew a lot about crockery, I knew good from bad. I also helped put washing machines and dryers into the Collingwood high-rise flats. You’ve gotta’ do something. No point just sitting around.
“I lived a pretty normal life until they found out I was epileptic. When I found out, I didn’t want anybody to know. You just hide it, but eventually it’ll come out. You can’t hide it forever. When you’re put on a disability pension, you go down to hardly anything per week, which takes the wind out of your sails. You go from driving a car to not doing that, and you realise you’ll never have a house again.
“I lived at the Carringbush Hotel for years. I used to stack their wood every week. Then I was at The Anchorage, that was alright. Soon after, the Salvos put me on the public housing waiting list. I waited years and got a place, but one of the neighbours was violent … you’ve got no idea what I’ve seen. I was just trying to keep out of the way of people there, that’s just how it went.
“HomeGround helped me get a transfer away from that place and move here. They’ve organised a nurse to come every day for my pills and help when I need to go to hospital. My HomeGround worker still comes to visit when he’s in this area. I’d like to do some volunteer work again if I can. I’m going to call up about it.
“I love it here. I can’t complain about this. People around here are friendly. They talk to you like you’ve been here for 20 years. That’s what opened my eyes about it. When I walked down the street for the first time and they all say hello, how you going?”
HomeGround helped get Tony into safe housing and provided outreach support for an extended period. Andrew still liaises with Tony’s new support workers and keeps in touch from time to time. Ongoing support will help Tony pursue his future plans, building on the stable foundation that safe, secure and affordable housing provides.